Star Wars Legion: Shadow Collective Starter Set - A Review

...and especially about the Star Wars Legion Shadow Collective Starter Set that Atomic Mass Games released in 2021. Oh no, there goes the fourth wall! How am I going to sell drinks if my cantina has only three walls? Aaaanyway, about the criminals you asked for...

The Shadow Collective in Star Wars Legion

As you probably know, Star Wars Legion is a miniatures wargame that, among other things, allows you to charge into glorious battle with some of the most iconic characters from the Star Wars universe and their troops... which makes it an ideal subject for our glorious website! You can play as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, or even Yoda himself, and command units like Clones, Stormtroopers, or Rebel Soldiers... or even battle droids... roger roger. The game lets you assemble armies from the Clone Wars and the Galactic civil war alike. So, until recently, you were able to play the Galactic Republic, Separatists, Galactic Empire, and Rebel Alliance. With the Shadow Collective Starter Set, mercenaries join the battle! The set contains units from three great crime syndicates: Pyke Syndicate foot soldiers, Black Sun Enforcers, and, labeled as Maul Loyalists, Mandalorian Super Commandos. Additionally, to combine them all into one force, the box contains Maul, who merges all these criminal organizations into a single army on the battlefield! As usual, the box contains markers, tokens, as well as unit and command cards for the troops.

You might remember the Pyke Syndicate foot soldiers from The Clone Wars, where they contributed to the chaos on Mandalore, but also from Solo - A Star Wars Story and The Book of Boba Fett, where the criminal aliens harassed a tribe of sand people on Tatooine. For Star Wars Legion, the Pykes come in units of four, which can be upgraded with a Capo, an additional squad member, and two special weapons operators. The Pykes are pretty much basic soldiers with an enormous sense of self-preservation, which can make them a frustrating enemy, as they can take (or evade) a lot of damage even though they only have a white dice save. Also, they can be fielded by all four major factions! All this has made them very popular in the current meta. They start at 40 points.

Black Sun Enforcers have been featured in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. They come in groups of four, bringing their signature double blasters, and are a solid anti-infantry choice on short range. The unit can be upgraded with a Vigo squad leader, an additional Enforcer, a scatter gunner, or, to make them dangerous against vehicles as well, with a Mag-Det-Enforcer. The Enforcers work for Separatists and Empire, too, starting at 48 points. 

Mandalorian Super Commandos (you may know them from The Clone Wars, but Mandos are, of course, famous from the tv series The Mandalorian) might be one of the strongest units in the game. These guys are just cool. They are highly mobile, able to take a lot of damage, especially when upgraded with shields, and they pack a massive punch at any range. They start with 3 Mando warriors and can be upgraded with a fourth soldier, a sniper, a gunfighter, and their leader Rook Kast. The basic unit is 75 points, but the upgrades aren't exactly cheap, as you might expect, with additional members at around 30 points. Unfortunately, they will only lend their services to the SC itself.

To conclude our article, let us review your questions about the Shadow Collective!

FAQs

What is the Shadow Collective in Star Wars?

The Shadow Collective is a criminal organization that was founded by the renegade Sith Maul. It is made up of several Star Wars factions, including the Pyke Syndicate, the Black Sun, the Hutt Clan, and the Nightbrothers, as well as Mandalorian traditionalists, who serve Maul as Mandalorian super commandos.

How do mercenaries work in Star Wars Legion?

Mercenary units are available for hire to all four factions and to certain Battle Forces. They are not a faction in their own right, but an army that consists entirely of mercenaries can be played as Battle Forces like the Star Wars Legion Shadow Collective Starter Set.

How big are Star Wars Legion armies?

In a standard game, SWL armies have 800 points. 500 points skirmishes are common, too. Of course, the size of the game is variable, depending on how big or small you and your opponent want to play! What comes in the Star Wars Legion essentials kit? The Star Wars Legion essentials kit comes with helpful tools, like cards, dice, and tokens, that you need to get started playing the game. You do not need it if you started the game with one of the core sets instead. However, more dice and tokens can often come in handy.

How does the Shadow Collective work legion?

The SC can be played like any other army, even though consisting completely of mercenary units. The Star Wars Legion Shadow Collective Starter Set is a great way to begin. Elements of the SC can be hired by other faction's armies, too!

What happened to the Shadow Collective?

The SC was eventually disbanded after the death of its leader, Maul. However, many of the factions that made up the SC (such as the Mandalorians and the Pykes) continue to operate independently.

Is Shadow Collective a faction?

In the rules of Star Wars Legion: No, the SC is not a faction. It can be played almost like a faction, though. It is made up of units of different affiliations, including the Pyke Syndicate, the Black Sun, and Maul Loyalists.

What do the inquisitors call Maul?

The inquisitors call Maul “The Shadow”.

Is Savage Opress a Sith?

Savage Opress is a Zabrak Nightbrother and Maul's younger brother. He was a Sith apprentice under Count Dooku and later Sith Lord under his brother Maul, who became a renegade Sith Lord during the Clone Wars.

Is Darth Maul running the Pyke Syndicate?

No, Maul is not running the Pyke Syndicate. The Syndicate is a criminal organization that is run by the Pykes. Maul is not a member of the Pyke Syndicate.

Is the syndicate run by Darth Maul?

If you mean the Pyke or Crymorah Syndicates: No, those are not run by Maul. Maul led the Shadow Collective, a coalition of crime syndicates, however, of which the Pyke Syndicat was a member. He also founded the Crimson Dawn criminal syndicate.

What are the 5 syndicates in Star Wars?

The Five Syndicates in Star Wars are Crimson Dawn, Black Sun, the Crymorah Syndicate, the Pyke Syndicate, and the Hutt Clan. Who is the head of Crimson Dawn? The head of Crimson Dawn was the renegade Sith Maul at first, then, after his death, Qi'ra.

Is Ahsoka coming to Star Wars Legion?

Yes, according to Atomic Mass Games on GenCon, Ahsoka will be made available for Star Wars Legion.

How did Maul end up on Malachor?

Maul ended up on Malachor after he was exiled from Mandalore. He was eventually found by Ezra Bridger and Ahsoka Tano, who helped him to escape the planet.

Who runs the syndicate in Star Wars?

That depends on which syndicate you mean. The Pyke syndicate is run by the Pykes. The Crymorah Syndicate is a set of several crime families, and it is unknown in Canon whether there is an ultimate leader.

How did Darth Maul survive?

Maul was able to grab an air vent with his Force powers as he fell down the reactor shaft. He eventually made it to a trash container, clinging to life with a combination of Nightsister magick, his Dathomirian physiology, and pure Sith tenacity. Maul's mutilated body was dumped on a junkyard world, where he constructed a six-limbed apparatus, allowing him to walk again.

What is relentless in Star Wars Legion?

Relentless is an ability in SWL that, for example, Tauntaun Riders have. It allows an additional move action.  

Where do I hand in underworld syndicate plans?

That is more of a SWTOR question. :-) But if you really want to know: Visit the lower promenade in Nar Shaddaa. On the wall north of the golden Hutt statue, you will meet an Underworld Syndicate agent named Qi'us Dnar. You can trade your Underworld Syndicate plans with her for reputation.